NY Islanders (32-21-5) at Montreal Canadiens (32-17-8)

Islanders (+125) at Canadiens (-150) – Total 6 (Over, -118)

7 p.m. ET

This has been a series in which the home team has won in each of the last nine meetings. Six of the last eight meetings have had a combined six goals or more, and each of the last four meetings has gone past regulation. In his most recent NHL betting column, my VSiN colleague Steve Makinen points out the Canadiens are 10-0 to the Over when facing a team like the Islanders (2.71) who give up 2.90 goals per game or fewer. 

When it comes to player props for this contest, the Islanders’ Bo Horvat has six goals in 11 games against Montreal goalie Samuel Montembeault. The Canadiens’ Cole Caufield has five goals in nine games against the Islanders, while teammate Nick Suzuki has four goals in seven games against the Islanders’ starting goalie, Ilya Sorokin. 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets: Over 6 (-118) – 1.5 unitsCole Caufield anytime goal (+145) – .15 units Bo Horvat anytime goal (+160) – .15 unitsNick Suzuki anytime goal (+210) – .15 unitsRegulation Draw (+330) – .10 unitsIslanders/Canadiens/Oilers/Kings all to score 2+ goals (+124) – 2 units

Minnesota Wild (34-14-10) at Colorado Avalanche (38-9-9)

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Wild (+125) at Avalanche (-150) – Total 6.5 (Under, -115)

9 p.m. ET

The Colorado Avalanche, fresh off a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, come into Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota will be playing their first game out of the post-Olympic break. Tonight marks the third meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Wild winning the first game in a shootout (3-2) and Colorado cruising to a 5-1 win back on December 21. 

Minnesota went into the break as a “dead Over” team, cashing the first period Over 1.5 goals in 11 consecutive games and 13 of 14, and the full game Over in 18 of 20. One of the two games that did go Under the total for Minnesota was the 5-1 loss to Colorado. With that being the case, I will grab the “flat 6 (-140)” that is being offered at BetMGM and FanDuel, just to name a couple of the sportsbooks that have the alternate total available. If you like the Over and don’t want to pay “the juice” on the flat six, you can either wait and hope an early goal is not scored and a “live 6” total becomes available, or you can play Over 6.5. The two previous meetings between the Avalanche and Wild also saw the first period Under 1.5 cash both times as well. 

The goaltending matchup tonight will likely feature Mackenzie Blackwood for Colorado and Filip Gustavsson (confirmed) for the Wild. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon has three goals and four points this season against the Wild and six goals in nine games against Gustavsson. Mackinnon has scored Colorado’s first goal of the game, a team-leading seven times this season, including once against the Wild. Val Nichushkin has four goals in eight games against the Wild netminder. Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov has four goals in five games against Blackwood. 

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Colorado Avalanche/Minnesota Wild Over 6 (-140) – 2 units
Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal (+100) – .50 units
Nathan MacKinnon 1st Colorado goal (+410) – .05 units
Kirill Kaprizov anytime goal (+160) – .20 units

Edmonton Oilers (28-23-8) at Los Angeles Kings (23-20-14)

Edmonton Oilers (-110) at Los Angeles Kings (-110) – Total 6.5 (-110)

10:30 p.m. ET

Both these teams come into tonight off horrible losses last night. The Oilers did not trail against Anaheim on Wednesday until Cutter Gauthier’s goal with 74 seconds left in regulation gave the Anaheim Ducks a 6-5 lead and the victory over the Oilers. Los Angeles gave up three unanswered goals to the Golden Knights in a 4:14 span in the third period and saw their 2-1 lead evaporate into a 4-2 deficit as Vegas went on for a 6-4 victory. The Knights won despite playing without Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin. The loss also spoiled the debut for the Kings’ Artemi Panarin, who picked up a pair of assists. 

Edmonton has been a disaster on the second half of back-to-backs this season, going (2-8) with six of the 10 games going over the total. Edmonton is on a 6-0-2 Over run in their last eight games overall. Even with the Oilers’ struggles on the second half of back-to-backs, there is no chance I will back the Kings, who were a one-line team versus Vegas last night. That one line was the trio of Panarin, Kempe and Laferriere. Panarin has three goals in the four games he has faced projected Edmonton starting goalie, Connor Ingram.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Over 6.5 (-110) – 1.5 units
Artemi Panarin anytime goal (+160) – .25 units
Artemi Panarin Over 1.5 points (+158) – .10 units

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